Carpentry pricing in 2026: trim, doors, and stair parts
MDF baseboard costs $1.20 to $1.85 per linear foot at the yard in 2026, and a prehung hollow-core interior door runs $128 to $195 before hardware. Step up to solid core and the slab alone is $210 to $325, which is why a whole-house door package quote splits so sharply on that one spec decision. The material table below covers the trim, doors, and stair parts finish carpenters buy weekly, followed by installed job ranges.
carpentry material costs, national average
| Item | Unit | Typical range | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDF baseboard | lf | $1.20 to $1.85 | primed, 3-1/4 inch |
| Pine baseboard | lf | $1.85 to $2.85 | |
| MDF casing | lf | $1.10 to $1.70 | |
| MDF crown molding | lf | $2.05 to $3.20 | |
| Poplar crown molding | lf | $3.75 to $5.80 | paint grade |
| Shiplap | sf | $2.50 to $3.85 | primed MDF |
| Wainscot panel | sf | $3.75 to $5.80 | |
| Hollow core door slab | ea | $60 to $92 | |
| Prehung interior door | ea | $128 to $195 | hollow core, 6-panel |
| Solid core interior door | ea | $210 to $325 | |
| Barn door kit | ea | $230 to $350 | door, track, and hardware |
| Entry lockset | ea | $68 to $105 | keyed, mid-grade |
| Oak stair tread | ea | $37 to $57 | |
| Handrail | lf | $7.40 to $11.50 | paint or stain grade profile |
| Newel post | ea | $82 to $128 |
Material prices in the table are national-average yard and supply-house costs from the pricing dataset that Staxen maintains, the same baseline its AI estimator opens with before a carpenter adjusts numbers to their local lumberyard. They exclude labor, fasteners beyond incidentals, overhead, and markup. Installed ranges are typical 2026 contractor totals for US residential work with labor included. Lumber and sheet-good pricing moves month to month, so verify current counter prices before locking a bid.
What typical carpentry jobs run installed
Prehung interior door, installed: $350 to $700 each
Out-of-plumb rough openings and matching existing casing profiles add fitting time. Multiples in one trip bring the per-door price down.
Baseboard, whole house around 1,800 sf: $1,500 to $3,500
Corner count matters more than footage. Rooms full of closets, bays, and odd angles cope-cut slower than long straight halls, and taller profiles cost more to buy and to scribe.
Crown molding, single large room: $450 to $1,200
Ceiling flatness, crown size, and whether the room has vaults or angled transitions that require built-up backing.
Stair refit, treads and risers, one flight: $2,000 to $6,000
Tread count, retro-fit treads versus full demo, and stain grade finishing. Landings and winders add layout time.
Shiplap accent wall: $600 to $1,800
Wall size, outlet and window trim-outs, and painted versus prefinished boards.
Millwork and door pricing is fairly uniform nationally since the big distributors set it, though hardwood availability varies by region. Installed trim rates follow local carpenter wages, with the coasts commonly 40 to 60 percent above southern and midwestern markets for identical scope.
Cost factors in carpentry work
Material grade ladder
The same baseboard profile exists in MDF at $1.20 to $1.85, pine at $1.85 to $2.85, and hardwood beyond that. Paint-grade jobs belong in MDF unless moisture is a factor; putting poplar behind paint is a margin leak.
Corners and coping
Trim pricing by the foot hides the truth that inside corners, outside corners, and returns are where hours go. Two rooms with identical footage can differ 40 percent in labor by corner count alone.
Existing conditions
Nothing in an old house is plumb, level, or square. Scribing base to a wavy floor and shimming jambs in racked openings is skilled time the lumber receipt never shows, and it is why remodel trim rates exceed new-construction rates.
Finishing responsibility
Who caulks, fills, and paints changes the bid by a third. Be explicit whether your number is install only, paint-ready, or finished, because the client will assume the most complete option.
Hardware allowances
Levers run $24 passage to well past $200 designer, and an entry set is $68 to $105 mid-grade. On a 15-door package the hardware allowance can swing more than the doors, so write it as a line item.
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge these rates for trim work?
No, this table is material cost only, the floor under a real price. An installed trim price adds your labor at a rate that covers the skill, plus overhead, consumables like fasteners and glue and blades, and profit. Many finish carpenters price base and casing per linear foot installed at three to five times the material number, adjusting for corner density.
Hollow core or solid core: what should I tell clients?
Hollow core prehungs at $128 to $195 are fine for closets and low-traffic rooms. Solid core at $210 to $325 buys real sound dampening and a heavier feel, which matters for bedrooms, offices, and baths. The honest framing is about $100 to $150 more per opening installed, and most clients choose solid core for the rooms they sleep and work in once they hear it that way.
How much trim waste should an estimate carry?
Ten percent is the standard waste factor for straight runs, but crown, rooms with many corners, and diagonal installs justify 15 percent. Length matters too: buying 16 foot sticks for long walls avoids splices that cost labor and show in the finish.
Does Staxen help with small jobs like door swaps?
Yes, small tickets are where fast estimates pay off most. Eddie, the AI estimator in Staxen, drafts a priced estimate from these same national-average costs while you describe the work, and the client signs from a text link in minutes. It is $59 per month per AI employee, or $149 per month for all three, with the first job free and no card required.
Start free with Staxen: your first job is on us, no card required.